On Sunday morning, Devin Patrick Kelley wandered into the Texas church his former in-laws attended, aimed his military-style rifle and opened fire. Within moments, Kelley had killed his former grandmother-in-law and 25 others.

Could it have been prevented?

Kelley was a known threat. He sent harassing and menacing text messages to his former mother-in-law, according to media reports. He spent a year in military confinement for assaulting his then-wife and his stepson. Even so, he was able to buy a Ruger AR-556 rifle — the weapon he eventually used to kill 26 people peacefully engaged in prayers at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.

The violence committed by Kelley and others like him is shocking, but we cannot say it is surprising anymore. Acts of mass slaughter have become all too common. They are not always predictable, but we should do everything in our power to prevent them.

State Rep. Robert Wittenberg

State Rep. Robert Wittenberg

House Democrats

Legislation to disarm domestic abusers and others who make violent threats might have stopped Kelley. That’s why I introduced the Extreme Risk Protection Order legislation in Michigan, which, among other legal recourses, would give survivors of domestic violence extra protection against gun violence at the hands of their abusers.

The bill would create a process for a family member or federal or local law enforcement officer to petition a judge to issue a temporary protection order that would limit access to guns by a person who poses a life threatening risk to themselves or others. It is a gun-safety measure that would protect us all from cruel-hearted criminals who have no business buying or owning a gun, but would not stop law-abiding citizens from exercising their Second Amendment rights. This is just one of many sensible solutions we should be implementing.

Let me refute some of the arguments against common-sense legislation:

“This is a mental health issue.” While mental health it is a factor, it is minimal. More people with mental disabilities are harmed by guns than harm others with guns. We need to focus on addressing mental health because people need help, not because of mass shootings.

“No one could have stopped this from happening.” While we can’t predict where or when a mass shooting will occur, we can implement proven methods of reducing gun violence.

“Only a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun,” or, “Guns don’t kill people — people kill people.” If that’s the case, shouldn’t we do everything possible to ensure bad guys don’t get guns?

“If not a gun, another weapon will be used.” Without question, firearms are more deadly than knives or other weapons. There is a reason American mass killers choose assault-style rifles to carry out their attacks. On Dec. 14, 2012, a knife-wielding man wounded without killing 22 children and one adult at a school in Chempeng, China. Hours later, a man armed with an AR-15 attacked an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. He killed 20 kindergartners and six adults, and wounded two more adults. The gun made all the difference.

“Criminals don’t abide by the law, so why punish law-abiding citizens?” If that’s the case, why do we have speed limits? Why are rape and murder illegal? We are a nation of laws. We don’t abolish laws just because some people break them.

The Texas tragedy is just the most recent to break our hearts. We can offer thoughts and prayers and hope it doesn’t happen again, but that hasn’t worked. We experience more mass shootings every year than all other western countries combined. Since 1968, more Americans have died from guns than died in all U.S. wars going back to the American Revolution.

We can do nothing, or we can pass the Extreme Risk Protection Order legislation.

We can do nothing, or we can implement universal background checks.

We can do nothing, or we can ensure all gun owners have a license and proper training.

We can do nothing, or we can lift the federal ban on gun violence research.

We can do nothing, or we can crack down on illegal online sales.

We can implement statistically proven methods to increase safety. Or we can offer thoughts and prayers and wait for it to inevitably happen again. I will push for sensible solutions to reduce gun violence. It is my firm belief that we have to do something. I hope and pray you’ll join me in this effort.

Robert Wittenberg, a Democrat from Oak Park, represents Michigan's 27th District in the state House of Representatives.